As summer winds down and the fall semester grows nearer, many students (and parents) begin the annual pilgrimages to the stores to stock up on items needed to head back to school. Whether you are a new or returning student, I just wanted to share some of my favorite perks and discounts you can get with your college ID and .edu email.

While some of these are well-known, others you may be less aware of. I always recommend looking into whether your favorite stores and brands offer student discounts.

Here are some of my fave deals to save you money!

1. Spotify Premium with Hulu bundle

As if listening to music ad-free wasn't enough, Spotify Premium joined with Hulu to bring you your fave music and fave shows! This is a steal at $4.99 considering how Spotify Premium is normally $9.99 a month and Hulu is $7.99 a month.

2. NYT for $1 a week

Looking for inspiration for your next Odyssey articles? Just wanting to be well-read? Then the New York Times student subscription is for you! You can get basic digital access to NYT articles and the NYT archives (great primary sources for school projects) for only $1 a week or about $4 a month. For college students, the NYT app is great for reading on the go!

3. UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS makes it easy for college students by verifying student status and finding student discounts for you. They have great offers like 20% off at American Eagle and Aerie, 20% off at PacSun, 15% off at Express, 15% off at Pink and more!

4. Amazon Prime for 50% off

Students can get a complimentary 6-month trial then Amazon Prime membership for $6.49 a month! In addition to getting free 2-day shipping on more than 100 million items, you also have access to Amazon Prime video where you can watch many TV shows and movies for free!

5. Office 365 for free

Students can get Office 365 (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote) with valid student email address for free! Plus, once downloaded it's yours to keep even after you graduate.

6. Washington Post for free

If you don't want to pay for NYT or want access to more news sources, you can get access to the Washington Post for free with a valid .edu email address!

7. free drink at Chipotle & Chick-Fil-A

Some locations will give a free drink with your meal if you show your student ID. Always worth a try!

8. BD’s Mongolian Grill's Student Nights

BD's Mongo is a create your own stir-fry restaurant. It's a great place to go with one stir-fry bowl and soup/salad bar trip for $14.99 or unlimited bowls and trips for $17.99. Some locations also offer a student night, where with your valid student id you can get the one bowl deal for $9.99 or unlimited bowls for $11.99!

9. Groupon

Groupon is a great place for students to find deals on events and places from concerts to gift cards for your favorite local restaurants. Students also get 25% extra off local deals for their first 6-months then 15% off for the rest of their college years.

10. HBO Go

Many universities and colleges offer free access to HBO Go by logging into your college student account. Brace yourselves, that means you can keep up with Game of Thrones throughout the school year!

11. Bed Bath & Beyond's College Savings Pass

Definitely the place to go to get dorm and apartment basics. If you sign up for their College Savings Pass (CPS), you can get 20% off your entire purchase for every purchase you make at CSP and get free standard shipping for all purchases made online. Most of their coupons also never expire so you can save them all up. They also have a great program where you can buy something at one of their stores and pick it up later in-store at a BB&B location closer to your campus! This is ideal if you are going to school far away from home.

12. Starbucks loyalty program

Although not a college discount, definitely join Starbucks rewards program if you're an avid coffee drinker. In addition to getting a free drink after accumulating so many points, you can get FREE REFILLS on all drip coffee and tea! This makes Starbucks a great place to spend an afternoon studying while caffeinating.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it's a great place to start looking into getting more for your money as a student! My motto is that it never hurts to ask if a place has a student discount. You might just be surprised at some of the deals and discounts you can get just by asking!